Word One: The Messiah has Come (Advent 3A Gospel)

Text: Matthew 11:2-11 for the Third Sunday in Advent, Lectionary Series A

Objectives

Participants will:

Understand how Jesus’ miracles point to His being the Messiah.

Know that they are blessed by their knowledge that God’s Son died on behalf of their sins.

Develop skills in telling other people that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

Materials Needed

Bible

Lutheran Service Book

Paper

Pencil

Group Guidelines

Divide class into groups of four. Pick leaders based on those youngest in age within each group. The leader’s task is to keep the group focused on the lesson. Have a secretary keep a record of the group’s answers.

Building Community

Have a student open with a short prayer. Sing as a large group, “O Son of God, in Galilee” (LSB 841).

Have each group name as many aspects of Jesus’ ministry as they can that point to His being the Messiah. Define why each of the aspects point to Jesus being the Christ. Have each secretary record the group’s answers.

Utilizing the secretaries’ reports, compile a class list of the aspects of Jesus that point to His being the Messiah. List these aspects where everyone can see them.

Looking at God’s Word

In groups, have the class read through Matthew 11:2-11. Have leaders guide discussion based on two questions: 1) What is the proof that Jesus is the Messiah? 2) What does Jesus mean when He says that the least in the kingdom of God will be greater than John the Baptist?

Discuss Jesus’ answer to John’s question regarding the Christ. To what does Jesus point as evidence for His being the Christ? You may want to compare Matthew 11:2-11 to Isaiah 35:5-6, 61:1.

Discuss John being least in the kingdom, discuss why each group chose the reason it did.

Reinforcing What Has Been Learned

Have each student imagine that he is a first century Jew. Write a letter to your cousin, who is in jail, about this wonderful man named Jesus. Explain to your cousin who has not seen Jesus why you believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

Update this letter for modern times. How would you write a similar letter to a friend who you want to know about the grace of God through Jesus Christ?

Closing

Have a volunteer say a closing prayer. End the session by singing, “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” (LSB 398).

Originally published in Discovery Bible Studies 11, studies on the Gospel readings for lectionary series A, in 1998.